Always Return
by izzchizz
Summary: A short one-shot about the aftermath of Bitterblue. Rated T for suggestive actions. Normal becomes unique and friendly becomes fantastic as Bitterblue's life as queen continues with a little surprise. Hope you like it. Please REVIEW


**A/N**: Alright, please don't judge me for this. I know its a little *cough cough* smutty, but I think its just short enough detail to y'know make you wonder at the end. But beside the point, I'm very happy with how it turned out and am hoping you guys think so too. I don't know how many times I can say it, but I will once more. Please please PLEASE review. It not only helps me to improve my writing, but also makes me feel like you guys care. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Even though I felt like I was part of the book when I was reading it, I still do not own Bitterblue or any of the characters in it, and nor am I anywhere close to being Kristen Cashore. So yeah. Enjoy my friends!

**_Always Return_**

The light from the burning candles on the dark mahogany desk flickered across the jumble of papers that sat in front of her. The too big chair sat at angle to the front of the desk and beyond it, the orange pink light of sunset shone through the panes of her westward windows. The air that flowed about the space was warm and sluggish, and it carried the scent of ink and summer. It was quiet in the room. Not with the kind of quiet that was tense and unnerving, but with a silence that was soft and comforting like a blanket of calm.

Queen Bitterblue sat in her chair, crookedly facing the desk in front of her. Her knees were pushed together beneath her flowing skirt, and the balls of her bare feet pressed into the soft carpet by the carved feet of the chair. She leaned forward, with one elbow resting on the top of the desk, her sleeve drooping around it loosely and a hand holding a quill propping up her cheek. A strand of her dark hair slid out of its place behind her ear and shaded her narrowed grey eyes that focused intently on the document she held in her opposite hand. It was growing late, and the chance to attend dinner had long since past. But Bitterblue had not noticed the pass of time, and if she did, she would not have minded skipping the formal meal.

Her hand dropped away from her face to mark something on the paper and it left behind a pink mark on her cheek. She put the paper down and reached for another, glancing at the window and registering the fading light. As she returned her gaze to the task in front of her, she heard the creak of an opening door. She looked up, but didn't bother to straighten her casual posture, or adjust her untidy clothing.

The steward that appeared in the door frame bowed and spoke formally. "I'm sorry to interrupt your work Lady Queen, if you'll please forgive me, but there is a young man outside, requesting to be in your presence."

She sighed inwardly and forced herself to place the paper she held, down on the desk and pay more acute attention to her steward. "It's quite alright Promus, but I do not wish to have any visitors at the moment," she said a bit tiredly. "I would be more than happy to meet with him properly tomorrow if he wishes to set a time, but right now I'm not quite in a state to see anyone." She gestured vaguely to her hair that tumbled down her shoulders messily, and her clothes which were much too casual for meetings.

Promus began to look nervous and he fidgeted unconsciously. "I'm sorry Lady Queen, but I'm afraid he insists on seeing you." He looked down at his feet and awaited her response ashamedly.

Bitterblue closed her eyes and then opened them once more. She would not be agitated by this stubborn late night fool who wished so badly to see her. "Promus, please just tell him that I will _not _see anyone—"

She was interrupted suddenly as the offender of such tenacity appeared in the doorway and stood smugly at the edge of the room, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth, and his uneven purple eyes alight with both the orange glow of the candles and the glint of mischief. She gasped and Promus fumbled with surprise and fright, practically falling over when he saw the Graceling standing so unexpectedly close behind him.

And then she was standing and flying towards him, and his arms were open wide and the grin no longer hid itself, and her eyes filled with happy tears. She embraced Saf so tightly she thought he must be suffocating, but he held on to her steadfast and she buried her head into his chest. Bitterblue sighed against him, content to just stay there in his strong arms, with Promus looking on incredulously.

"Three years." She whispered.

"I came back." He responded, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

She grumbled in response and held him even more tightly. "I hate you," she mumbled, although her tone clearly lacked the anger her words might indicate.

He laughed softly. "Good to see you too Sparks." He shifted and created an infinitesimal space between them; enough for him to lean in and kiss her softly on the forehead.

"I've missed you Saf," she said, breaking away from their hug. He smiled back at her and she turned toward her still stunned steward. "Thank you Promus. You may go now."

He closed his open mouth and bowed stiffly, then exited the room with shocked eyes, closing the door behind him as he went. The dark little office quieted as his footsteps receded down the hall and left the two youth standing alone in the silence.

Bitterblue turned again to face the Lienid before her, and her eyes traveled over his body. He had grown slightly, and put on some muscle from the years laboring at sea. His skin had tanned, but his freckles were no more or less prominent on his face. Saf's uneven purple eyes were bright as ever, and they seemed to sparkle in the soft light. She noticed that the manner in which he carried himself had changed as well. He no longer stood slyly with a guarded look that gave the impression that he trusted no one and suspected all. Now he seemed more confident in his own nature and he held himself in a firm and yet free stance.

All this she took in, in a matter of seconds, before realizing her awkward evaluation of him. She cleared her throat, suddenly very conscious of her messy state. "How… were the Dells?" She asked him shyly.

His bright eyes softened, but the intensity of them did not dull. "Oh, it was magnificent Bitterblue. Animals with pelts and feathers and scales in such dazzling colors. It was truly breathtaking." He took a small step towards her.

Her own grey eyes followed the motion of his feet as she responded. "Uhuh, and working as a Dellian sea explorer? How was that?"

He continued his slow approach towards her as he began to speak once more. "It was such an experience. The things we discovered were beyond my wildest dreams." Unconsciously her feet shuffled backwards on the carpeted floor under her skirt.

"And what exactly did you find while exploring the seas?" Her voice held a hint of anxiety as her hands brushed against the nearby wall.

"The most amazing things Sparks." He replied coolly. "Sheets of ice that expand into the distance like a vast kingdom whose citizens consist of the oddest creatures that look like bears, but with fur that blends into the whiteness of the snow. Everything gleamed in the sun like a giant white gem, and glowed in the dark to match the moon."

She couldn't help but smile at the captivating picture that rose to her mind and filled her with fascination, until she noticed that Saf was now very close to her. Her back pressed gently against the wall and one of Saf's arms was raised so that his forearm rested above her head. He stared intently at her with an unreadable expression. "I got the dreams you sent me." She whispered, her eyes rising to meet his unwavering gaze.

"Is that so?" He mumbled, taking his turn to ask a question.

"Mhm," was all she could manage.

"And I assume you enjoyed them as I intended you to?"

"Well…" Bitterblue said, faking a moment of thought.

A smile teased at the edges of his lips, ruining his detached composure. "Maybe," he whispered, his face leaning in towards hers, "I can help you make your decision." Her eyes flickered to his and the mischief she saw in them reflected her own.

He moved forward and their lips met in an arch of emotion and energy. The kiss reverberated through her like a rush of icy air, and suddenly his body was pressing against hers. She melted into him as the kiss deepened, and despite the heat of his skin against hers, she felt a tingling shiver rise up in her. Saf's mouth moved against hers in perfect harmony, his hand taking hold of her waist. He moved slowly and deliberately and she strained towards him. One of her hands pressed against his chest, and although she could have pushed him away, she did not. Her other hand slid behind his neck, and her fingers knotted in his hair, holding him in place. Saf changed position and she gasped as his lips touched her neck like a shock of electricity. His arm above her dropped, and his hand explored her body.

As Bitterblue realized what was occurring in this small office surrounded on the outside by her Lienid guard, she grew more conscious. Her hand rose from where it rested on Saf's chest, and lifted his chin so that his eyes met hers. She flashed him a playful smile, and then slipped out of his arms, but not before taking a firm hold of his hand.

She turned without a second glance at his confused face, and glided out the backdoor. Bitterblue checked the dark hallway for people, thanking the seas that there was no one around the secret exit.

"Sparks what are you—" Saf began, only to be interrupted by a harsh _shh_ from his companion.

Bitterblue began to run down the hall, not exactly knowing where they were going, just trying to get away and not be seen. They laughed as they ran, and hid when servants and guards passed by; suppressing the giggles that would give them away. Finally the two reached the guest wings and they slid in through the door of some empty room that was waiting to house the next guest to the Monsean court.

The perfectly made bed and nightstand could be seen by the moon's soft glow through the balcony window, and excepting Bitterblue's sigh of relief, it was quiet. She leaned back against the door catching her breath and grinning at Saf. He smiled back crookedly, laughing softly as his eyes surveyed the space around them. And then their eyes met, and Saf was upon her again, resuming where they had left off. But the mood had changed; there was a certain urgency now in the way their mouths met. A passion that left them both gasping and straining for more. It was as if it was a spark back there in the dark office, and now here it was a blazing fire that ripped through both of them.

She did not understand how it occurred, but the next minute Bitterblue had her legs wrapped around Saf's waist, her back pressed against the door which rattled slightly. And then he was moving, carrying her with him and turning towards the empty bed, not once stopping the motions of his lips against her throat. He laid her down on top of the soft covers, his hand behind her head as it rested on the pillows. He crawled to join her and Bitterblue's fingers fumbled with his clothing and he undid the ties of her dress.

The warmth of his skin as they strained towards each other took her breath away, and she was mesmerized by the touch of his hot lips on her neck. She groaned his name and he responded with a smile against her throat. She tasted and sought and their tongues fought with one another for dominance. There nothing but their bodies moving with each other, and the energy that flickered through them like lightning in a thunder storm.


End file.
